


Introduction

by OdeToPedrazar (MyPrivateLaughter)



Series: Five Friends and Francis [4]
Category: Nothing Much to Do
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 07:57:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3112088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyPrivateLaughter/pseuds/OdeToPedrazar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>York</i><br/>Balthazar is picking up guys in York Minster. Yup, that's basically it. ;)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Introduction

So the New Year had been a bit of a mix bag so far for Balthazar.

It had begun especially well with Pedro’s lips against his, Pedro’s hands pulling them closer together, the hot taste of beer on his breath… Other highlights so far had been witnessing Ben’s struggling attempts not to be rude to Beatrice and being able to play the soundtrack to Disney’s Robin Hood loudly over Francis’ sound system as they drove around Nottinghamshire.

But things had been soured somewhat since Pedro’s behaviour when they’d met at Auckland airport on New Year Day, which would be termed ‘shifty’ at best, and the assertion Pedro had made as soon as he possibly could that he’d been too drunk to remember anything the night before. _Anything._

It’s just strange how things turn out.

Like now, for example. Balthazar would never have expected the place for a hot guy to catch his eye and start chatting to him to have been York Minster. In his experience, churches weren’t usual the best place for picking up guys.

York Minster is, as Hero had informed them on the drive, the largest cathedral of its kind in Northern Europe. Balthazar, who is a sucker for beautiful architecture, was somewhat overawed by the immense gothic construct. He was stood beneath the towering west window of stained glass when the tall boy with tightly curled blonde hair and a knitted green scarf approached him.

“They call it ‘the heart of Yorkshire’,” he said, referring to the window.

Balthazar looked up with a nervous smile. “Oh, um, cool. It’s really beautiful.” The guy was beautiful, in a really obvious way, with clean-cut features and wide green eyes.

“Yeah, it is,” the guy responded, giving Balthazar that knowing smile that was often shared in the gay community. Balthazar did his best to return it with an appropriate amount of enthusiasm, though it didn’t cross his mind to actually continue the conversation.

When he wandered back to the others, he noticed that Hero and Beatrice were grinning at him in a slightly odd way. “What?” he asked.

“Ok, Balthy, are you really not going to talk to that guy?” Beatrice demanded. “You are contractually obligated to introduce yourself to someone today. It’s your resolution.”

Hero nodded. “You might as well make it that hottie.”

“Exactly, it might as well be the hottie.”

Balthazar felt himself blush and looked everywhere but at his friends.

“What’s this?” Benedick asked, inserting himself into the conversation. “Balthy is ensnaring hotties, as usual?”

“I’m not ensnaring anyone…” Balthazar muttered.

Hero gave him a kindly look and said, “Did you ask his name?”

“Nah, nah, I don’t want…”

“Oh, come on!” Beatrice laughed a bit too loudly so Hero and Pedro hushed her. They were in a church after all and the acoustics were amazing.

“He doesn’t have to start chatting up some random guy,” Pedro suddenly said. He looked surprisingly uptight. “Well, we’re leaving the day after tomorrow, anyway.”

And then Balthazar noticed the dark look that Pedro was giving him while the others continued to make suggestions about what to do. _Really?_ Balthazar thought to himself. _This is upsetting for you, is it?_ And for the first time, Balthazar felt something like anger towards the person who had recently enacted the textbook definition of messing him around.

“Fine, yeah,” he heard himself saying. “Yeah.” He looked about to see if the guy was still there and, noticing him by a nearby pillar and fuelled by irritation at Pedro, he stated, “I’ll go and talk to him.”

“Yeah?” Hero practically clapped her hands in glee.

“Great,” Benedick said, “now the trick is to be dead casual, just, you know, say something about the weather or something.”

“Are you really giving Balthazar hints on how to chat to guys? _Really_?” Beatrice said incredulously.

“Ok, um, thanks, I’m going to go now…” Balthazar shot Pedro a glance and immediately wished he hadn’t because Pedro’s black, accusatory eyes made his chest constrict uncomfortably so he that found it hard to breath as he walked across the cathedral towards the random stranger that he now had to talk to.

Balthazar took a deep breath then said, “Hey.”

The guy turned around, looked surprised and responded simply with, “Hello.”

Wishing he could just walk away, Balthazar murmured, “I urm, didn’t introduce myself before. I’m Balthazar.” He held out his hand and after a moments pause, the guy took it with a grin.

“Balthazar? Like the three wise men?”

“Yeah, I’m not um, that wise or anything though. And I don’t have any myrrh.”

And amazingly the really hot guy had laughed. “I’m Matthew,” he said. “Did your friends put you up to this?” He indicated towards where Beatrice, Benedick, Hero and Pedro were all pretending not to watch them, each in individual but equally unsuccessful ways.

Balthazar winced and admitted, “Sort of,” with a smirk.

But Matthew didn’t seem phased. “I’m here with my parents. Where are you guys from?”

“New Zealand. We’re sort of doing a road trip thing.”

“To find the baby Jesus?” Matthew suggested.

“Nah, nah…” Balthazar smirked, pleasantly surprised by this show of humour. He didn’t expect people with eyes that bright to be funny as well.

Afterwards, he met his friends by the exit and they went out into the chilly gathering dusk together. “ _Well?_ ” Beatrice immediately pressed.

Balthazar shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “What?”

“What happened, man?” demanded Benedick.

“No, nothing, we just chatted.”

“What’s his name? Where’s he from? Did you get his number?” Hero asked in an excited stream. “ Oh! _Did you get his number_?”

“Well, yeah,” Balthazar said really trying very hard not to look embarrassed. He ignored their various exclamations at this point and said, “His name’s Matthew. He’s been staying with his parents for the holidays.”

“And he wanted you to call him?”

“Well, yeah, you know, he said we should go for a drink…”

“We’re only here for one more day,” Pedro said unnecessarily loudly. “Why would you want to go for a drink with him?”

“Did you see him?” Beatrice asked. “Did you use your eyes? Did you see his face?”

But Pedro frowned at Beatrice and grumbled, “I didn’t realise this was going to be a, I don’t know, hooking up across Britain road trip.”

“Chill out, man!” Benedick laughed, clapping Pedro on the back. “I’m sure we could find some chicks if you want.”

Which caused Beatrice to laugh loudly and sarcastically for a long time.

But Balthazar wasn’t listening because he knew by now that he was in serious trouble. He had liked Pedro for a long time, longer than he would probably ever admit, but had been happy enough just to be his friend. And then Pedro had kissed him, which had been amazing and exciting but ultimately… unfruitful.

But if it had been a momentary whim, a drunken mistake as Pedro had claimed at breakfast yesterday, then why on earth was he behaving this way? Why was he bristling at the suggestion of Balthazar liking someone else? There was one very obvious answer to this question but Balthazar couldn’t possibly allow himself to get his hopes up again.

He bowed his head and waited for them to stop talking about him. Inside his coat pocket, Balthazar fiddled with the receipt that had Matthew’s number written on it. Then he scrunched it up in a tight fist and surreptitiously threw it in the next bin that they passed. He was in serious trouble.

**Author's Note:**

> Is anyone still reading this?? lol Hope you like! My first chapter from Balthy's POV is naturally the longest. But there were hotties involved so... seemed appropriate. Really hoping that I can keep this up once school starts again!


End file.
